Thursday 8 May 2014

Final Music Video

Ancillary Task - Album Ad


For the album advertisement, I kept with the black and white theme as it looks highly effective in real like and also carries on the theme on the album cover therefore the audience will find it easier to link together. 

Ancillary Task - DigiPak


 
This is the front cover, back cover and spine of my digi-pak, I kept with the black and white theme for the artist much like in the music video. Contrastingly:
 


 
 
I used colour for the inside of my digipack, as these characters scenes are in colour on the music video also it provides a nice contrast from the outside. I used the same image however flipped it for the inside to represent the happiness they share together, also I think it will look highly effective if I were to print them out and put them in a disc case.



Tuesday 6 May 2014

Evaluation: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?

Evaluation: In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products

Evaluation: How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Evaluation: What have you learned from your audience feedback

I made both open and closed questionnaires for my audience feedback so that I could be given two set of data to evaluate. Whilst the closed questionnaire is great for statistics, I was focusing more on the open questionnaire as viewers were able to leave comments which would be more useful when it came to evaluate. I gave these questionnaires to 30 different people ranging from 14-25 as this is my target audience for my music video, out of the thirty, twenty five enjoyed it whereas the other five didn't like it as much. Although I gained a great response for enjoyment, around twenty people did not understand the storyline, this big of a number obviously shows me that more context in the video would have been helpful, especially for younger viewers, if I were to do it again, I would definitely try spend a little more time on thinking of clever ways to make the story easier to follow. All thirty of the people thought that the shots that were most effective were the close-ups and the quayside location as they were scenic and complimented the song, two people who did understand the story line expressed how the close-ups denoted a 'loving look' possibly highlighting the way the two girls feel about each other, which is something that I was hoping to achieve with the cinematography. The shots that most people found least effective were the shots of the girls walking around, because it seemed tedious after a while, this brings me back to my point before about context in the video for the storyline, if I had the time I would have liked to reshoot with a different outlook on portraying the story to gain better results. Twenty people thought the editing was good, five thought it was average and the other five said they didnt really pay attention to it, overall I am happy with this result as I was new to Imovie this year and with more time I could have gained alot more skill using it, but in the short amount of time I am happy with my progress and the feedback given. Twenty two people said they would recommend the video to a friend, some of the reasons for this being that they enjoyed the video, the acting was good and it broke conventions of music videos with the storyline. The other eight said they wouldnt recommend it because they didnt enjoy it themselves or they didnt understand the storyline. Overall I am happy with this feedback and will take it all on board if I were to do it again.

Ancillary Task Editing



This is the editing process of the inside cover of my digi-pak, I have included a grain effect in order to give it the vintage feel I am hoping to achieve throughout my piece, I am thinking about keeping it in colour as their scenes are in colour in my music video, however this may look odd with my front cover hopefully being black and white, I will edit them together and see how it turns out.

Progress Editing

Monday 24 March 2014

Genre Revision

Over the past week we have been looking at genre, this is a prezi that I have created inorder to help me revising for the exam

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Theory Lesson

Today we discussed Genre's and were set a task to pick a genre we liked and research how that genre has changed over time with reference to specific films, this will be uploaded in my next blog post

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Studio

I have decided that I am going to the 'artist' in my music video, this will mean it is easier and quicker than having to find a person who has the same free time as me, I will begin this next week when I have organised studio time.

Progress

I have decided to slow down a lot more of the footage in my music video as when I was listening to it with the music the pace seemed off, however some of my clips now seem a bit too stretched therefore I think I will need to go out and get more footage to include.

Monday 3 February 2014

Spine


This is the spine for my digipack, I have carried on the background from my back cover so that it does not look out of place and also kept the same font I am using for the majority of digipack. I have changed the colour from white to black in order for it to stand out more, also I've only included the artist name and album name because I dont want it to look messy and packed.

Back Cover

I have began adding the legal information and barcode to the back cover this will make it look authentic and more professional

Back Cover

I have began adding the track list to my back cover, I downloaded a font off dafont.com as the fonts on photoshop were not what I was wanting. One of the troubles I had when putting the track list on was getting them in alignment with eachother so I found the ruler setting in photoshop and it helped a great deal

Back cover picture


I was taking practice photos for the digipak so I could get a feel for the layout etc, however when I uploaded it to photoshop in focused on the top left corner of the picture, I then began to mess around with edits etc and I liked the turn out. 



Digipack

I found this on a website called http://www.entertainerlaw.com/pdf/albumnotes_101.pdf and I think it will be very helpful when thinking about the layout of the digipak

Cover
  • Artist name 
  • Album title 
  • Artwork/pictures 
  • Parental Advisory Explicit Content notice (if applicable)

Spine
  • Artist name 
  • Album Title 
  • Record label (if applicable) 
  • UPC code 
Back Cover
  • Track numbers, song titles and length of songs 
  • Credit
-Usually for the producers, but may also be for the artist, songwriters, musicians, producer, engineer and others who helped put the album together
-Songwriter credit should be given for each song, unless the same artist or the entire band wrote all of the songs, in which case “All songs written by [artist].” should be sufficient. Make sure to include this information for cover versions and samples as well.
-Note: While you are only legally obligated to give credit to those who have required it in a contract with you, such as producers, managers, lawyers, and labels (although you should give credit to songwriters regardless of contracts), it’s a nice gesture and good karma goes far in this business.
  • *Publishing information “© [year] [publishing company name] ([ASCAP, BMI, etc.])” 
  • Copyright notices

-“© [year] [artist name]” – This denotes the copyright in the lyrics and music on the album. This symbol should be used whether or not you have registered the work with the U.S. Copyright Office.
-“(P) [year] [artist name or record label]” (the P should be in a circle just like the © symbol and denotes a copyright in the sound recording) – This denotes the copyright in the sound recordings on the album. This symbol should be used whether or not you have registered the work with the U.S. Copyright Office.
-If the copyright in the lyrics and music and the sound recordings belong to the same person or entity (which is often the case), the following should be put on the album “(P)(C) [year] [artist name or record label]”
  • “All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.”
  • “Manufactured in USA.” (but only if this is actually the case)  Artwork/pictures – Be sure to give credit to the artist(s). “[Artwork or Photographs] by: [artist]” or “[Artwork or Photographs] © [year] [artist]”  Website
  • UPC bar code 
  • *If you have liner notes, you may want to include this information there instead of on the back 
Liner Notes
  • Track numbers and song titles 
  • Credit
-For the artist, songwriters, musicians, producer, engineer, label and others who helped put the album together
-Songwriter credit should be given for each song, unless the same artist or the entire band wrote all of the songs, in which case “All songs written by [artist].” should be sufficient. Make sure to include this information for cover versions and samples as well.
-Note: While you are only legally obligated to give credit to those who have required it in a contract with you, such as producers, managers, lawyers, and labels (although you should give credit to songwriters regardless of contracts), it’s a nice gesture and good karma goes far in this business.
  • Publishing information “© [year] [publishing company name] ([ASCAP, BMI, etc.])” 
  • Song lyrics 
  • “© [year] [artist]” after the lyrics for each song 
  • “All rights reserved. Lyrics used by permission only.”
  • Copyright notices 
-“© [year] [artist name]” – This denotes the copyright in the lyrics and music on the album.This
symbol should be used whether or not you have registered the work with the U.S. Copyright Office. 
-“(P) [year] [artist name or record label]” (the P should be in a circle just like the © symbol and
denotes a copyright in the sound recording) – This denotes the copyright in the sound recordings on the album. This symbol should be used whether or not you have registered the work with the U.S. Copyright Office.
-If the copyright in the lyrics and music and the sound recordings belong to the same person or entity (which is often the case), the following should be put on the album “(P)(C) [year] [artist name or record label]”
  • “All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.” 
  • “Manufactured in USA.” (but only if this is actually the case) 
  • UPC code numbers 
  • Thanks – This is where you thank everyone (from your mom to your lawyer ) who has helped you get where you are
  • Artwork/pictures – Be sure to give credit to the artist(s). “[Artwork or Photographs] by: [artist]” or “[Artwork or Photographs] © [year] [artist]” 
  • Website address 
  • Contact information (especially if this is a demo or you have a fan club) 
  • **If you do not have liner notes, you may want to include this information on the back cover of the album and/or on the reverse side of the album cover.

CD/ Other Media
  • Artist name 
  • Album title 
  • Artwork/picture
  • Song titles and length of songs 
  • Website 
  • Copyright notices

-“© [year] [artist name]” – This denotes the copyright in the lyrics and music on the album.This symbol should be used whether or not you have registered the work with the U.S. Copyright Office. “(P) [year] [artist name or record label]” (the P should be in a circle just like the © symbol anddenotes a copyright in the sound recording) – This denotes the copyright in the sound recordings on the album. This symbol should be used whether or not you have registered the work with the U.S. Copyright Office.
-If the copyright in the lyrics and music and the sound recordings belong to the same person or entity (which is often the case), the following should be put on the album “(P)(C) [year] [artist name or record label]”
  • “All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.” 
  • “Manufactured in USA.” (but only if this is actually the case) 
  • UPC code numbers 
  • Compact disc symbol
  • Record label name/logo (if applicable) 
  • Contact Information (but only if this is a demo)
Other
  • Make sure to give proper credit to trademarks where applicable (either TM or ®). Use ® only with federally registered trademarks, as, unlike with ©, you must have a federal registration to use the ® symbol. You may use TM to indicate that you claim trademark rights in a word or logo that you have not registered or if your federal trademark registration is pending.
  • If the music was recorded using Dolby, be sure to include their symbol. 
  • Add the universal compact disc logo to CDs and add the type of tape and EQ settings on tapes. (You may want to speak with the album manufacturer about adding these symbols.)






Monday 27 January 2014

Editing




As you can see by the top photo, there was a lack of bright light when filming in the cafe, therefore I have increased the brightness on imovie, so that it looks like the bottom photo, this makes it look almost vintage.
I have also decreased the pace of some scenes which I think are important such as the exchanging of numbers and helping up the stairs, this will add a bit of  difference to the scenes so that they do not seem tedious.

Monday 20 January 2014

Tracklist

I am beginning to come up with song names for the digipak, I am going to use words that revolve around the theme of love.

1) Only one
2) Lovestruck
3) Unwritten
4) Words
5) Rollercoaster
6) The View
7) Mirrors
8) If Only
9) The End

The songs may be a bit cliché however they are centred around love etc.

Another plan of action

My teacher gave me a great idea to video in a café whilst in town tomorrow, previous students have used blakes café on grey street so it is not off course for us heading to leazes park. I am going to ring the café to ask permission for us to use the café early on in the morning so that we don't disrupt any customers or business, and of course we will be buying food and drinks
for their cooperation.

Plan for tomorrow

Tomorrow I am visiting Leazes park in Newcastle with my two actors to film more of the music video, hopefully we can get most of the filming done here. On the way there and back I am also going to film them in points of the day when they don't realise such as the metro journey over there, this will get footage that isn't acted and looks more real, considering they are best friends and could get some great footage.

If we have time I am hoping to also get photos taken of myself for the ancillary tasks, however I still want the use of fairy lights.

Also if possible I am wanting to go to the quayside to film some more footage however it is at the opposite end of town and the quickest way to get there is foot, and we only have a certain amount of time before needing to be back at school.

Ancillary task photos

When taking ancillary task photos just to give me an idea for the layout I came across a health and safety problem. For my photos I am wanting to use a pitch black room with fairy lights all around myself and possibly the room, however it has just came to my attention that if I was to do this in school it would propose numerous health and safety precautions, something which I am going to have to discuss with the technician at school.

A problem with the font


This is a problem I found when testing the font on a picture, since I only transfer the fonts, the background from where I am selecting it appears on the photo, this is a problem I am going to have to find a solution for. I will have to speak to a technician about possibly enabling me to download the font so this wont happen or I will have to get photoshop at home and do it there, if none of these ideas work then I am going to have to find a font on photoshop that will be suitable.

The fonts

These are the fonts I selected from the wide variety dafonts offered. I wanted to go for a signature type look for the artists name, therefore the font needs to be handwritten however still look professional, which is why I feel the bottom font would be best.

Ancillary Task

In first lesson I have been looking at various fonts for both my digipak and album advertisement, I want a font that is simple, clear yet has an edge to it. Photoshop does not have many fonts like this so I am using a website called 'dafont' which features a vast amount of different fonts which I could download and use in photoshop, I would however have to do this at home because of the restrictions at school. In order to post the different fonts on my blog I am print screening the page of the font, copy and pasting it then putting it on photoshop.

Monday 6 January 2014

Problems



When messing on with the editing I found the problem that when editing two different clips which I recorded at the same time the lighting was different when I made the contrast diffent. Although I made the contrast the same percentage on both clips they are noticeably different, this could be a problem throughout the whole of my filming process. Unfortunately it is going to be difficult to overcome this however I will have to make the best possible effort to make it look professional.

First Day Back

Today is the first day back from the holidays and I am beginning to edit the footage I have by messing on with lighting etc and removing the sound. I have not started filming from the very start of my music video as I am videoing the more simple parts first. Therefore I will be saving the footage I have edited so that I can just combine the clips.

Sunday 5 January 2014

Elements of a Music Video


Elements of a Music Video
Andrew Goodwin, in 1992, identified a number of key features which distinguish the music video as a form:

There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (with visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics)
There is a relationship between the music and the visuals (again with visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music)
Particular music genres may have their own music video style and iconography (such as live stage performance in heavy rock)
There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close-ups of the main artist/vocalist
The artist may develop their own star iconography, in and out of their videos, which, over time, becomes part of their star image.
There is likely to be reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women, but also in terms of systems of looking (screens within screens, binoculars, cameras, etc)
There are likely to be intertextual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts
In addition, Steve Archer in Media Magazine 8 has drawn attention to the need to consider the relationship between narrative and performance in music promos.

The key elements of a music video are:

Lyrics
Lyrics tend to help establish a general feeling, or mood, or sense of subject matter rather than offering a coherent meaning. Key lines may play a part in the visuals associated with the song but very rarely will a music video simply illustrate the lyrics completely.

Music
A music video tends to make use of the tempo of the track to drive the editing and may emphasise particular sounds from the track by foregrounding instruments such as a guitar, keyboard or drum solo.

Genre
While some music videos transcend genres, others can be more easily categorised. Some, but not all, music channels concentrate on particular music genres. If you watch these channels over a period of time, you will be able to identify a range of distinct features which characterise the videos of different genres. These features might be reflected in types of mise en scene, themes, performance, camera and editing styles.

Camerawork
As with any moving image text, how the camera is used and how images are sequenced has a significant impact on meaning. Camera movement, angle and shot distance all need to be analysed. Camera movement may accompany movement of performers (walking, dancing etc) but it may also be used to create a more dynamic feel to stage performance, for instance, by constantly circling the band as they perform on stage. The close up predominated, as in most TV, partly because of the size he screen and partly because of the desire to create a sense of intimacy for the viewer. It also emphasises half of the commodity on sale - the artist, and particularly the voice. John Stewart of Oil Factory said that he sees the music video essentially as having the aesthetics of the TV commercial, with lots of close-ups and lighting being used to focus on the star's face.

Editing
Although the most common form of editing associated with the music promo is fast-cut montage, rendering many of the images impossible to grasp on first viewing, so ensuring multiple viewing, some videos use slow pace and gentler shot transitions to establish mood. This is particularly apparent in promos for many female solo artists with a broad audience appeal, such as Dido. Often enhancing the editing are digital effects, which play with the original images to offer different kinds of pleasure for the audience. This might takr the form of split-screens, colourisation and of course the use of blockbuster film style CGI special effects.

Intertextuality
The music video is often described as a 'post-modern' form, a slippery term which is sometimes used to mean intertextuality, one of the post-modernism's more easily identifiable features. Broadly, if we see music promos as frequently drawing upon existing texts in order to spark recognition in the audience, we have a working definition of intertextuality. Not all audiences will necessarily spot a reference and this need is not significantly detract form their pleasure in the text itself, but greater pleasure might be derived by those who recognise the reference and feel flattered by this. Arguably, it also increases the audience's engagement with, and attentiveness to the product, an important facility in a culture where so many images and narratives compete for our attention.

It is perhaps not surprising that so many music videos draw upon cinema as a starting point, since their directors are often film school graduates intending to move on to the film industry itself. From Madonna's 'Material Girl' (Mary Lambert, 1985) which drew on the song sequence Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend and Howard Hawks' film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (USA, 1953), to 2Pac and Dr Dre's California Love (Hype Williams, 1996) which referenced George Miller's Mad Max (AU, 1979), there are many examples of cinematic references in music video. Television is often a point of reference as well, as in the Beastie Boys' spoof cop-show title sequence for Sabotage (Spike Jonze, 1994) or REM's news show parody Bad Day (Tim Hope, 2003). People see visual references in music video as coming from a range of sources, although the three most frequent are perhaps cinema, fashion and art photography. Fashion sometimes takes the form of specific catwalk references and sometimes even the use of supermodels, as by Robin Thicke in Blurred Lines (Diane Martel, 2013). Probably the most memorable example of reference to fashion photography (and to the fetishistic photography of Helmut Newton) is Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love (Terence Donovan, 1986), parodied many times for its band of mannequin style females, fronted by a besuited Palmer. 

A description of music video as 'incorporating, raiding and reconstructing' is essentially the essence of intertextuality, using something with which the audience may be familiar, to generate both nostalgic associations and new meanings. It is perhaps more explicitly ecident in the music video than in any other media form, with the possible exception of advertising. It is suspected that the influence of videogames on music videos, particularly for younger audiences, has generated more plasticised looking characters.

Narrative and performance
Narrative in songs, as in poetry, is rarely complete and often fragmentary. The same is true of music promos, which tend to suggest storylines or offer complex fragments in a non-linear order, leaving the viewer with the desire to see them again. Often music videos will cut between a narrative and a performance of the song by the band. Additionally, a carefully choreographed dance might be a part of the artist's performance or an extra aspect of the video designed to aid visualisation and the 'repeatability' factor. Sometimes, the artist (especially the singer) will be a part of the story, acting as narrator and participant at the same time. But it is the lip-synch close-up and the miming of playing instruments that remains at the heart of the music videos, as if to assure us that the band can really kick it. 

The video allows the audience more varied access to the performer than a stage performance can. The close-up, allowing eye contact and close observation of facial gestures, and role-play, within a narrative framework, present the artist in a number of ways not possible in a live concert. The mise en scene  in particular can be used:
As a guarantee of 'authenticity' of a band's musical virtuosity by showing them in a stage performance or a rehearsal room;
To establish a relationship to familiar film or television genres in a narrative-based video;
As a part of the voyeuristic context by suggesting a setting associated with sexual allure, such as a sleazy nightclub or boudoir;
Or to emphasise an aspirational lifestyle, as in the current emphasis on the latest gadgetry
Other commentators have identified some other styles in music videos, including gothic, animated, dreamscapes, portraiture, furutistic and home movie.

My Album Advertisement


For my album advertisement I want the same image used as is on my album cover, I want to keep the same theme by keeping it plain and simple, this will hopefully have the same strong effect as my album cover does. I'm going to keep the same colour scheme etc so that it looks professional and will be easier for my buyers to find it in the shops.

Album Advertisement

Album Advertisement

DigiPak Template



http://www.discwizards.com/cd-dvd-artwork-templates.htm
I found this template online and propose to use it to create my digipak to the correct measurements.

My Digipak

After analysing numerous digipaks I have decided that I am going to keep mine simple yet effective. I want a close up of the artist and for her not to be sexualised, this will keep to my target audience as also highlights the story of my music video, breaking conventions. The text will also be simple with very few fonts as I do not want it to look over crowded and an organised mess because these types of digipaks did not appeal to me.

Last Years Digipak


Image: 
The image is simple, yet powerful with its blurred effect. 

They have kept the background plain which helps to focus on the image more. 

And there is also no image on the back of the cd which once again helps you focus on the text. 

Text: 
The text is highly simple and only features a few fonts which keeps with the theme of the cover. The artist and album name are very small however the album name is bigger, this may be because the artist they have created is successful therefore does not need a huge text.

Track List: 
The trakclist is simple once again like the album cover, making the song clear and easy to read. 

Production Info: 
The production info like the rest of digipaks I have analysed is smaller and placed at the bottom of the album. 

Existing Digipak


Image: 
The image is of the artist on a carousel horse, sticking with the theme of the digipak which is obviously circus themed. Unlike Ellie Gouldings digipak, Pink is showing a lot more flesh, she is known for her raunchy behaviour etc, therefore this appeals to her target audience and attracts them to buy the album.

The background of the album sticks with the circus theme by being very loud and bright, the colour pink seems to be used alot obviously in correspondence with the artists name. 

Text: 
The album name and artist name are surprisingly the same size, unlike Ellie Gouldings where the artists name was significantly bigger, this may be because Pink is a more popular artist therefore is recognised more.

Track List: 
The track list keeps up with the fun theme by varying in font so that the audience are attracted to it more.

Production Info: 
This is small and like the last digipak is in a different colour however much smaller than the rest of the album. 


Existing Digipak



Image:
Shows the artist at an extreme close-up with a series of lights surrounding her, there is no sexuality to her image at all, which is breaking the conventions of a typical female album, showing that she has a specific target audience. 

The background is dark inorder for herself and the lights to stand out, the use of the lights is in correspondence with the name of the album.

There is no image on the back, it is highly simple and just features the names of the songs as if they are alight. 

Text:
The text is highly simple much like the design of the digipak, this enables the text to stand out more so you can clearly see the artist and the album name, although the album name is much smaller than the artist as you are buying the album because of the artist therefore it needs to be apparent that it is her album. 

Track List: 
The track list is very simple following the same theme as the rest of the album, they are simply listen with no numbers etc, just keeping it simple. 

Production Info: 
The production info is in a different colour to the rest of the album however is significantly smaller and not really noticeable. 

Intertextuality



The reason I am going to intertextualise 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' into my music video is because the story line for the film is where I gained my inspiration for the music video, I have always loved Ellie Goulding - The End as it stood out to me on the album as not being like her other songs and it just so happened that I was a big fan of this film when it was in the cinema and the two just seemed to fit. I am going to try and get a hold of the book and have one of my actors carry it or put it in the background of a shot if suitable.

Christmas Holidays

Over the christmas holidays I have been focusing on improving my blog and working on the ancillary tasks, I will post the photos for my ancillary task later on today as I am uncertain about them and the whole concept, however I am going to carry on with my research so I can get the best possible product.

Monday 25 November 2013

Uploading footage

Unfortunately due to lack of supplies at the school there is only 1 macbook to share between 4 groups inorder to upload footage therefore I have to get on with other stuff to kill time, to speed things up I am going to bring my own macbook in after speaking with the technicians and finding out that I will be able to transfer my footage onto the macs in school or even just do the whole of my editing on my macbook.

Filming for the first time

Over the weekend I was able to meet up with my actors, unfortunately I was not able to meet up with them at the same time therefore it was hard to film parts of my music video, however I made best with the very little time I had and decided to film some shots that I could use of them, these being tracking shots and various close ups. Although these shots were not story boarded, I gathered that I could fit them in, plus I dont have time to be wasting when I am finally able to get myself and the actors together at the same time.

Monday 18 November 2013

Story board



These are the story boards I completed in lesson today, I have drew a picture of the original shot and then explained how it will develop and also what it is supposed to represent.

Todays Plan

In my lessons today I plan on expanding my analysis on the music videos and also if I have time begin a story board for my first few scenes. I am making the storyboard so that I have a basic structure for my music video however once out shooting it I might change my ideas slightly.

Monday 4 November 2013

Things I have To Consider

Planning: The actors need to be clear on the planning for example, showing story boards, planning props, costumes and locations, organising times and dates and also try and keep a record of everything that you're doing.

Shooting: Bring a device to play the song so that the singer can mime the song and also so that I can hear it when I come to edit the piece together. I should really get three different shots of every scene at different angles so that I can capture everything and also so that I have more footage to work with.

Uploading: When uploading footage I will be cutting my recordings into reasonable sized chunks so that it is easier to manage and organised, meaning no footage can be lost, it will also be time saving.

Lip-syncing: This will be the most time consuming part of the project, one I have gotten rid of the excess footage and started to peice together the lip synching will have to be precise, by matching the sound waves to the clip.

Editing: Once I have chosen my clips and finished my lip syncing I will then start to choose what clips I want to include in my music video, I should expect to make compromises as some footage that I like may not be suitable for the video. I need a lot of time for editing inorder to edit to the best of my ability, a suggested 8-10 hours will be needed.

Half Term Holiday

Unfortunately over the half term holiday I was unable to film with my actors due to myself and one other girl being at work all week therefore we are going to have to limit our filming to tuesday mornings and the odd night during the week if we are free. This will mean it will be harder to meet the deadline, therefore I need to manage my time effectively.

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Shots

These are some of the location shots I took:

 




Locations

I recently went to Newcastle to take pictures of some of the locations I was hoping to use, whilst looking around I found some other locations which I thought could be useful if I was wanting to use more.

I am wanting to use the millenium bridge at night, however unfortunately my only available time was to go during the day so I hope to go at night sometime soon. I think I will benefit more visually if I film at night as the lights will not only look effective but they also represent the album name of the song i'm using.

Monday 14 October 2013

Tatu - All The Things She Said

Tatu – All The Things She Said is another music video portraying a lesbian relationship however unlike the others I have analysed it is highly provocative and sexualised by the use of rain and wet clothes, as well as the kissing and physical contact, this is probably to attract a specific audience. As this video was made in 2009 it was the first of its kind therefore was shocking for the viewer’s however now a days it is not as taboo as it was. The lighting is very dark and seems as though a tinge of green has been edited to the lighting. There are a lot of close ups when the physical contact and kissing happens, once again this is to make it stand out and emphasise what they are doing, attracting a certain audience once again. The lighting changes between the scenes, when there is a scene with the onlookers the lighting is very dull and negative, where as when the scene is on the two lesbians the lighting is bright and happy, this is probably to show the positivity they feel together in contrast to the more than likely negative opinion from the people watching. The close ups of the girls behind the cages and the bars suggest that they cant come out to the world, which is rather symbolic considering the music video is highly provocative. The cinematography is very hectic, there are lots of zooms which is not something that is normally used in music videos, also there are lots of cuts, almost like it is pictures of the scene straight after eachother, this once again is not a typical convention of the music video.

Ed Sheeran - Give Me Love

Ed Sheerans, Give Me Love portrays all sexual orientations in his video, which I find useful as I have recently changed my idea to have a music video with the storyline of lesbians. The video is about a girl who we see in the start has killed herself however the scene cuts to the past and we see she is a  is a portrayal of cupid and she goes around with arrows finding people love because she can’t find it herself, it’s not until the end when an attractive policeman comes in to find that she has killed herself that the arrow and wings disappear implying she has finally found love. The music video is 90% in slow motion, possibly to add tension and emphasis, but also to make it look like she is ina fantasy or dream like state, there is also a lot of tracking and panning to help the storyline develop. The lighting in the music video has clearly been edited as the effects are rather gloomy and kind of vintage. Although the video shows different relationships the directors have still used an attractive blonde woman, which will attract another type of audience. There are specific close ups of the gay couples kissing, which could be to emphasise that there are different relationships, also in the club scene she stabs the man who then begins to kiss the other, the camera then tracks back to show that they are the only gay couple there, one again I believe this is to single them out, but not in a bad way.

Change of Ideas

I have changed the idea of a boy/girl relationship to a girl/girl relationship as I have realised there are not many music videos that explore this. I think it will give an extra edge to my music video as it will be different enabling it to stand out.

My new storyline still fits in with my interpretation of the lyrics to 'The End' however now I have a twist in my story.

My new storyline is going to be about two girls, one who is a lesbian and one who isn't infront of her friends however is infront of the actual lesbian. They have a relationship but it is secret and or is only when the apparent 'straight' girl is drunk, eventually the actual lesbian gets fed up and realises she deserves better.

Music Video From Last Year

This music video to Florence and the Machine – Shake it out uses the storyline of a fairy tale for the concept of their music video as it is predominantly a love song. I found the concept hard to grasp at first as I was not clear as to what was going on, this could have been improved by making the narrative more clear. The scenes of the girl miming are good in terms of camera angles etc. however the acting is rather poor, it needed to look real whereas I felt this didn’t. I liked the noticeable changes in colour difference to represent the different storylines however I was unclear of what the difference was meant to show. I found that the locations for the music video were suitable and the ranges of different shots and angles they incorporated fitted the theme of the video.

Wednesday 9 October 2013

Ideas For Shots Etc

Today I expanded on a few of my ideas for the music video, showing representations etc

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Plan 1

We've only ever kissed lying down
We've only ever touched
When there's no one else around

I can be elusive
If you want me to
I'm not being intrusive
I just wish I knew the truth


As to why
I wait for you
Longer than the average person would
And why
I think about you
More than I think one should


Our bodies fit together
Like a make-shift puzzle
And it's clear to see why you puzzle me
And you turn your frame
And you whisper my name
As though I am a burden


Cause I'm making up for lost time
And I'm making up for you
And I'm waking up from last night
And I'm waking up with you

So what's new?
So what's new?


I am at your house
So I belong to you for now
Trying to impress you
But lord I don't know how

I can be a statue
If you want me to
I'm not being difficult
I just need to know the truth


As to why
I'm wanting you
And I would take you if I could
And why I'm still (lay?) here
It's something I still haven't understood


Our hands rest together
Like pieces of paper
But they're always blank
When I hold your hand
And it gave you a fright
When I stayed the night
And you gave yourself to me

Cause I'm making up for lost time
And I'm making up for you
And I'm waking up from last night
And I'm waking up with you
So what's new?
So what's new?

It's not the end
It's not the end

So don't lets pretend

Cause I'm making up for lost time
And I'm making up for you
And I'm waking up from last night
And I'm making up for you
So what's new?

So what's new?
So what's new?


Light Blue - Narrative
Dark Blue - Live Performance

Monday 23 September 2013

Locations





 I would like to use the bridges at night because it would be effective with the lights, also because the album name from the song I have taken of Ellie Gouldings is called lights, therefore it would make the music video believable.
I also want to use a bedroom that is all white as I have seen this in Ellie Goulding's video with Calvin Harris and found it to look really effective.
Another location I would like to use is saltwell park because of the scenery, it would look great in the background of the music video.


Ideas For My Music Video


My Interpretation Of The Song

There is no offical meaning to the lyrics however I think that it's about a girl waiting for a boy as he is only willing to be with her behind closed doors. She knows that this is wrong and that she shouldn't wait for him and be with someone else but she seems to love him and is kidding herself that he is going to turn around and make it official.

Ellie Goulding - The End

We've only ever kissed lying down
We've only ever touched
When there's no one else around
I can be elusive
If you want me to
I'm not being intrusive
I just wish I knew the truth

As to why
I wait for you
Longer than the average person would
And why
I think about you
More than I think one should

Our bodies fit together
Like a make-shift puzzle
And it's clear to see why you puzzle me
And you turn your frame
And you whisper my name
As though I am a burden

Cause I'm making up for lost time
And I'm making up for you
And I'm waking up from last night
And I'm waking up with you
So what's new?
So what's new?

I am at your house
So I belong to you for now
Trying to impress you
But lord I don't know how
I can be a statue
If you want me to
I'm not being difficult
I just need to know the truth

As to why
I'm wanting you
And I would take you if I could
And why I'm still (lay?) here
It's something I still haven't understood

Our hands rest together
Like pieces of paper
But they're always blank
When I hold your hand
And it gave you a fright
When I stayed the night
And you gave yourself to me

Cause I'm making up for lost time
And I'm making up for you
And I'm waking up from last night
And I'm waking up with you
So what's new?
So what's new?

It's not the end
It's not the end
So don't lets pretend

Cause I'm making up for lost time
And I'm making up for you
And I'm waking up from last night
And I'm making up for you
So what's new?
So what's new?
So what's new?

Monday 16 September 2013

Getting permission to use the song

 In order to get permission to use the song I had to message Polydor records. Although I may not get a reply it is still crucial that I ask.

Analysis

I have started analysing previous music videos such as a final project from the last a level class at my school. *INSERT VIDEO CLIP* This music video to Florence and the Machine – Shake it out uses the storyline of a fairy tale for the concept of their music video as it is predominantly a love song. I found the concept hard to grasp at first as I was not clear as to what was going on, this could have been improved by making the narrative more clear. The scenes of the girl miming are good in terms of camera angles etc. however the acting is rather poor, it needed to look real whereas I felt this didn’t. I liked the noticeable changes in colour difference to represent the different storylines however I was unclear of what the difference was meant to show. I found that the locations for the music video were suitable and the ranges of different shots and angles they incorporated fitted the theme of the video.

Monday 9 September 2013

Starting A2

For my project this year I am going to be making a music video to the song Ellie Goulding - The End, as it wasnt a single I will have to analyse the lyrics in order to come up with an idea for the storyline to the music video

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Evaluation - (LOOKING BACK AT YOUR PRELIMINARY TASK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO THE FULL PRODUCT?)

Evaluation - (WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS PRODUCT?)

Evaluation - (HOW DID YOU ATTRACT/ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCE?)





My magazine has a wider audience as it is not a specific genre and can appeal to male and female audiences.

 It will be sold in shops and also advertised on the internet with sites like, twitter, facebook and youtube. 

The internet is the best place for my magazine to be advertised as most internet users are signed to social networking sites, my target audience is also the age of the most common internet users. Facebook will allow people to see it through similar posts they have liked or searched, for example Q magazine or Music magazine. You could also create a facebook page for the magazine which you could upload exclusive facebook content. This would be the same for twitter as related searches can be found, you could also create a twitter for your magazine where you can keep your followers updated and up to date. 

Evaluation - (WHO WOULD BE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT?)


Check this out on Chirbit

Evaluation - (WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?)

Finished Piece

Unfortunately I had a problem with my magazine as I missplaced my usb, therefore I have used a previous magazine I have made and improved it.


Wednesday 8 May 2013

Evaluation - (HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?)

Evaluation - (IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OR REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?)

My completed magazine contains conventions and features of magazine already out on the market such as Q. The magazine Q uses a basic colour scheme of red, black and white which keeps it looking simple yet professional which is why I followed this colour scheme in my magazine. My magazine also uses similar features to Q such as interviews and reviews, although I took ideas from Q I had to ensure I developed the conventions in order to make the magazine my own. In order to do this, I changed the target audience slightly as I used more recent and varied artists e.g. drum and base and r&b I chose this because of the feedback I received from my questionnaires. I don't know of any magazine which contains these genres together meaning there is a huge gap on the market.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Front Cover Image

 
 
This is my original photo that I took for my front cover, I decided to use my knowledge of photoshop inorder to slightly edit the photo such as, editing the colour of her eyes, face and lips.
 
This was the finished product

Monday 11 March 2013

Flat Plans




These are my original flatplans for my magazine, they may change if I find a different inspiration.



Wednesday 30 January 2013

Organisation

In order to manage my time effectively I have created a timetable of all the aspects I need to do to complete the course at a high level.
 
Date
28th - 4th
Plan out front cover, flat plans and take photos
4th - 11th
Begin cover and think about article topic
11th - 15th
Continue with cover, start to write article
15th - 25th
Start planning contents page
25th - 4th
Continue cover and start contents page
4th - 11th
Continue contents page and make corrections on article
11th - 18th
Start article
18th -25th
Make improvements on all elements
25th - 28th
Think about evaluation
8th - 15th
Evaluation
15th - 22nd
Evaluation
22nd - 29th
Evaluation
29th - 3rd
Final cut off, make last minute adjustments